This weekend we spent a wonderful day in Nara! It's Miranda writing. Nara used to be the capital of Japan from 710 to 794. Eight locations in Nara make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara. Nick and I were visiting to sit in the park, however. We brought some homework and spent time sitting under the trees and studying.
One of my primary draws to the park was the deer. Nara Park is home to over 1,000 wild deer. They are a symbol of the city. Part of the park is made up of Kasuga Taisha Shrine’s grounds. Mythically, the shrine’s deity, Takemi Kajichi no Mikoto, rode a deer to Nara from Kashima Shrine. The deer are now “natural monuments.”
They are very friendly, and many people come to the park to watch and interact with the deer. Many of the deer have learned to bow to guests to receive treats sold at the park. The deer are not allowed to have any other food from humans. The deer crackers are called “shika senbei.” They are sold by the “Foundation for Protection of Deer in Nara,” and the proceeds go toward protecting the deer. They are made of wheat flour and rice bran, without sugar. Nara deer also spend a lot of their time eating grass.
As you can see from this picture, and its warning, the deer are still wild animals. They can bite, kick, and headbutt if provoked (or if you don’t give them crackers).
Nick was not impressed with my deer friends. He called them “giant rats,” which I found a highly irreverent attitude toward the poor sacred deer.
Nara is also full of natural wonders other than deer.
It’s hard to see this sign, but it talks about the Kusunoki tree (camphor tree). It looks like one tree, but it is actually three huge trees connected at the base. It was originally planted to commemorate Emperor Meiji. It was planted at the emperor’s sitting spot at a feast. It’s said to be 100 years old.
Other than the deer, my favorite part of Nara was the lovely plum blossoms in bloom. It was a perfect day!
It made me feel a lot calmer to be outside for so long, and I was able to get some great studying done. We’re taking our midterms this week, so wish us luck!
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Great park with our four legged brothers and sisters to entertain you. Hope you were able to relax and prep for exams. Give us an update on Tom at some point.